Showing posts with label #ChrisKarlsen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #ChrisKarlsen. Show all posts

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Book Blast and Giveaway: The Ack Ack Girl by Chris Karlsen

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Chris Karlsen will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Love and War

A country under attack and the story of one woman’s fight to protect England and her heart.

1941. The German war machine has crushed all of Europe-only England holds fast. To force a surrender, the German Luftwaffe bombs cities and villages the length of the country. As the battle rages, Britain is in desperate need to put more pilots in the air.

To free up more men a new unit is formed: The Ack Ack Girls. These special teams of courageous women will now fight in the anti-aircraft stations. Determined to be part of the effort, Ava Armstrong, volunteers for one of the special teams.

Her unit just happens to be located near an RAF airfield teaming with pilots. Sparks fly, and not just from artillery, when Ava crosses paths with Chris Fairfield, a handsome and cocky pilot stationed there. But nothing is easy in time of war, not even love.





Read an Excerpt

London-October 1940

Ava’s blood froze in her veins at the growing roar, or so it felt. Her heart pounded in her ears. The hammering hardly noticeable against the raw fear that filled her as the air raid siren wailed.

Which direction were the planes coming from?

In the basement everyone sat on the floor, their backs pressed to the wall. No one spoke. Everyone held hands. In the flickering lamplight, Penny had grasped Ava’s.

And they waited.

The first explosion sounded from across the river, many blocks away. Ava closed her eyes and whispered, “Thank you.” A wave of guilt hit her. Part of the city was destroyed. Londoners were dying while she gave thanks. But she was grateful.

The ack-ack-ack sound of the anti-aircraft rounds cut the air and joined the warning wail.

Closer now, another barrage of anti-aircraft bursts rang out as the deep rumble from the German planes came their way. Ava and the Gordon family instinctively tightened their grips on each other’s hands.

“Miss us, please miss, please miss...” Ava repeated.

The roar of the Messerschmitts was overhead now. The bombers growled like gigantic, angry bears. Grandma Gordon fingered the imaginary beads of a rosary as she recited a Hail Mary.

At the first whistle of falling bombs, Ava pulled Peaches to her and cradled the trembling dog. Without thinking, she curled her legs up, buried her head between them, and covered her head with her arms.

The worst thunder clap times a million, that’s how Ava remembered the noise just before the bricks crashed around her. It sounded like the end of the world.

In a way it was.

About the Author:
I was born and raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor and my mother was, and is, a voracious reader. I grew up with a love of history and books.

My parents also love traveling, a passion they passed onto me. I wanted to see the places I read about, see the land and monuments from the time periods that fascinated me. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.

I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream.

I’m currently working on the Bloodstone Series, which is historical suspense with romantic elements. I’m also writing a world war two romance series, The Love and War series.

My past series include my historical/time travel romance series is called, Knights in Time. My romantic thriller series is Dangerous Waters.

Each series has a different setting and some cross time periods, which I find fun to write.

I currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and two wild and crazy rescue dogs.

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buy links:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
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Thursday, August 19, 2021

Blurb Blast and Givaway: The Ack Ack Girl by Chris Karlsen



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Chris Karlsen will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

 

It’s 1941 and the German war machine has defeated all of Europe except England. In an effort to force a surrender, the German Luftwaffe is bombing villages and cities the length of the country. As the battle rages, Britain is in desperate need to put more pilots in the air.

To free up more men a new unit is formed: The Ack Ack Girls. Teams of courageous young women will now fight in anti-aircraft stations. Excited to be part of the effort, Ava Armstrong has volunteered for one of the special teams. Her unit just happens to be located near an RAF airfield teaming with pilots. Sparks fly, and not just from artillery, when Ava crosses paths with the highly decorated and handsome Royal Air force pilot, Chris Fairfield.





Read an Excerpt

When her mother turned around, the color had drained from her face and her eyes had a haunted look. “What is it, Mum?”

“They’re bombing Coventry. There’s a BBC reporter on site. He said dozens and dozens of planes are over the city.”

Ava sat on the sofa, listening to the live broadcast as the nightmare continued. Her stomach roiled. The mint-flavored tooth powder she’d used had tasted sweet and fresh, but now soured in her mouth.

“The cathedral is destroyed,” the reporter’s voice broke.

“Turn the sound up, Mum.”

“The sky is black with planes now. They’ve blotted out the moon.” The reporter broke into a coughing fit and then continued. “The city is aflame. It’s raining bombs. The terribleness of this night will never be forgotten. Coventry is no more.”

Eleven hours later

“Did you get any sleep?” her mother asked.

Ava shook her head. “The bombing only just stopped. They’re saying that most of the city is destroyed.”

Ava went upstairs to clean up and change clothes. When she came back down she told her mother, “I need to go. I have to see if Miss Finney is all right. I have to see if I still have a home there.”

Coventry-later that day

The train was standing room only. A blast of intense heat clobbered her as Ava stepped from the station. She found herself flashing back to the night of the blitz attack in London. Like London, hours after the last bombs fell flames still raged and painted the sky in orange and red here. Bright, hot embers filled the air, burning holes through the material of the umbrellas of those who carried them for protection.

She slowly and carefully made her way toward Miss Finney’s flat and the upstairs bedsit she let to Ava. She paused in front of the movie theatre around the corner from Miss Finney’s. The entire building had fallen but somehow the marquee remained undamaged. Perched on top of the rubble advertising, His Girl Friday. Ava had just seen the movie the previous week. She’d gone two nights in a row just to watch Cary Grant.

About the Author:

I was raised in Chicago. My father, a history professor, and my mother, a voracious reader passed on a love of history and books along with a love of travel. My husband and I retired to the Pacific Northwest where we live with four crazy rescue dogs.

I am a retired police detective. After twenty-five years in law enforcement I decided to pursue my dream of writing. I’ve completed a historical-time travel romance series called Knights in Time. I currently write a historical suspense called The Bloodstone Series.

I am also working on a world war two series of novella romances.

https://chriskarlsen.com/
https://twitter.com/chriskarlsen1
https://www.instagram.com/chriskarlsenwriter
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4822048.Chris_Karlsen
https://www.pinterest.com/chriskarlsen/_saved/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VDSQGDM/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2
https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-ack-ack-girl/id1554149585?mt=11&id=1554149585&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ack-ack-girl-chris-karlsen/1138717450;jsessionid=444A6EB0F49780AA0A95256880D85C5F.prodny_store01-atgap03
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-ack-ack-girl
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-ack-ack-girl/9781393715412-item.html

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